DOCSLIB.ORG

Congress Certifies Biden's Electoral College Win Hours After Pro-Trump

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Congress Certifies Biden's Electoral College Win Hours After Pro-Trump Congress certifies Biden’s Electoral College win Hours after pro-Trump rioters stormed the Capitol, causing an unprecedented lockdown of Congress, members certified Joe Biden as the winner of the Electoral College and the next president of the United States. Republican members of Congress, turning their backs on a democratic system of government, challenged the certification of Arizona and Pennsylvania. The process required each chamber to hold two hours of debate before reconvening in a joint session to vote. The final votes in the Senate were a 93-6 rejection on the Arizona challenge and a 92-7 rejection of the Pennsylvania challenge, while the House rejected the Arizona challenge 306-121 and the Pennsylvania challenge 282-138. House members also objected to the certification of Georgia, Michigan and Nevada, but those challenges died when no senators joined them. Several Republican senators who had planned to object to the certification, including Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty, changed their minds following the attack on the Capitol, and voted for certification. Every member of the Tennessee Republican House delegation supported at least one of the challenges to overturn the Presidential election. Rioters storm Capitol leaving five people dead After being encouraged by the President at a rally, thousands of supporters of President Trump, some armed, stormed the grounds of the U.S. Capitol, breaking into and vandalizing the legislative chambers in an effort to derail the joint congressional session where the 2020 election results were formally certified. Members of Congress were forced to shelter in place, and the Capitol went into lockdown as the rioters, who had earlier been encouraged by the President, clashed with unprepared law enforcement. The rioters were encouraged by the President, who has spent weeks falsely attacking the integrity of the election and had urged his supporters to descend on Washington to protest Congress’ formal certification of Biden’s victory. While the President has condemned the attack, he denies any responsibility for the riot. Officials at the Department of Justice have indicated they may pursue charges against the President for inciting the riot. Members of Congress are demanding an investigation into how such a serious breach of security happened and why the Capitol Police were so understaffed and unprepared. Facing widespread criticism for the way he handled the situation, Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund has resigned. Also resigning are the Sergeants of Arms of both the House and the Senate. The chaos resulted in the death of five people, including a Capitol Police Officer, Brian Sicknick, who was injured while physically engaging with rioters. One woman trying to break into the Senate Chamber was shot by Capitol Police and the other died from injuries sustained during the violence. Several arrests have been made and charges have been filed against the man who broke into Speaker Pelosi’s office and a new elected state delegate from West Virginia who videoed himself in the Capitol. +Jim said, “Officer Sicknick was killed while defending our democracy. I pray for his friends and family, and support a full investigation into his death to hold those responsible accountable.” House moves to impeach the President, while others call for invoking the 25th Amendment Several Democratic lawmakers and one Republican called for the President to be impeached for a second time for inciting sedition and encouraging rioters who took over the Capitol. Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota has drawn up articles of impeachment. A vote on the article of impeachment is expected early next week, if not sooner. At the same time, some Administration officials have been discussing the possibility of invoking the 25th Amendment to remove the President from office. This would require the majority of cabinet secretaries to vote to have the President’s power transferred to the Vice President as soon as possible. The Editorial Board of the Wall Street Journal has called on the President to resign. +Jim said, “I supported impeachment before and agree we need it now more than ever.” +Jim also said, “The fastest way for us to remove the dangerous president would be for @VP to #InvokeThe25th. If he won’t do that, we must immediately take up articles of impeachment. I’ve joined my colleague @Ilhan in co-sponsoring this resolution in the House.” Cabinet Secretaries resign in the aftermath of Capitol riot Two Cabinet members have resigned in the wake of the Capitol riot. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao resigned, saying she was "deeply troubled" by events at the Capitol. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos later resigned. In a sharply worded letter, she accused the President of directly responsible for inciting the mob that attacked the Capitol. Both have served since the beginning of the President’s term. They are being criticized for resigning at the 11th hour, in part because they will not be able to participate in a vote to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove the President from office after their resignations take effect. Twitter and Facebook ban the President In unprecedented moves, Twitter and Facebook suspended the President’s social media accounts. Following the riot at the Capitol, Twitter initially locked the President’s personal account for twelve hours following “repeated and severe” violations of its policies. They have now permanently suspended his account because they fear any additional tweets might incite further violence. Facebook has taken a similar position and has suspended his account indefinitely. Both companies have been widely criticized for not taking strong steps to stop the spread of misinformation that many believe led to the violence at the Capitol. Trump administration approves Tennessee’s Medicaid block grant request Today, after an eighteen-month delay and in the final weeks of Trump’s term, the administration approved Tennessee’s Medicaid block grant waiver. This greenlight from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) will allow Tennessee to fund their Medicaid program, TennCare, through a lump sum of federal funds in exchange for full autonomy to operate the program , without any intention of expanding eligibility. TennCare provides health insurance to 1.4 million Tennesseans including low-income individuals such as pregnant women, children, caretaker relatives of young children and older adults and adults with disabilities. Tennessee is one of 12 states that has repeatedly refused to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. By doing so, Tennessee is rejecting almost one billion dollars a year in federal funding to give 300,000 additional Tennesseans health care coverage and save rural hospitals. Tennessee is the first state in the nation to block grant its Medicaid program. In the past, Congress has previously voted against such proposals and it is likely that the Biden administration will reject the waiver. The state legislature and Governor Lee began pursuing the waiver last year and it has been met with widespread opposition from Tennesseans. Jim joined hundreds of people who showed up to testify at public hearings against the proposal. The state also collected about 1,800 written comments on the block grant plan and only 11 were in support. Now that the Trump administration has approved the proposal, it will be sent back to the state legislature for final approval from lawmakers before it can be implemented. In a statement, Governor Lee said he intends to present a joint resolution on the plan for the General Assembly's "immediate consideration." +Jim said, “Tennessee is not getting any favors from the Trump Administration when they delay the waiver for 18 months, then give us leeway in the final week knowing that it will be reversed by the Biden Administration. Everyone in our state needs affordable health care.” Confirmed COVID-19 cases, deaths, vaccinations in Tennessee Today, the Tennessee Department of Health reported 6,369 new cases, bringing the total to 640,606 confirmed COVID-19 cases statewide. There have been 7,618 deaths, an increase of 126 since yesterday. There are 3,249 people currently hospitalized with the virus. There have been 5,789,702 tests statewide, more than 33,593 since yesterday, with a 17.44% positivity rate. As of today in Davidson County, there have been 74,528 confirmed cases, 995 new today, and 502 total deaths. Approximately 200,000 people in Tennessee have received a vaccination. While counties around the state continue working to vaccinate health care workers and others in phases 1a1 and 1a2, the Health Departments have started offering vaccination appointments to people 75 of age and older. Tennesseans can visit this site for county-level information about vaccines. You can also use this tool to find out when you will be eligible. Yesterday, more than 4,000 people died from COVID-19, making it the deadliest day of the pandemic so far. In some parts of the country, the number of people infected has pushed hospitals to stop accepting patients because they have no capacity to provide them care. The CDC reports that more than 5.4 million people have received the first dose of the vaccine, far fewer than the 20 million that were expected to be vaccinated by the end of December. In response, President-elect Biden has announced that he will distribute all available doses in order to speed to the slow pace of vaccinations. +Jim said, “Today, @NashvilleHealth announced #COVID19 vaccine distribution for Nashville residents 75+ begins Saturday, Jan. 9. You MUST make an appointment here: https://redcap.link/ulocm01y or by calling 615-862-7777. Visit http://covid19.nashville.gov for more info.” Ossoff and Warnock win Georgia Senate runoffs Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock won Georgia's Senate runoffs giving Democrats control of the Senate. Each party has 50 seats in the Senate.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Key Committees 2021
    Key Committees 2021 Senate Committee on Appropriations Visit: appropriations.senate.gov Majority Members Minority Members Patrick J. Leahy, VT, Chairman Richard C. Shelby, AL, Ranking Member* Patty Murray, WA* Mitch McConnell, KY Dianne Feinstein, CA Susan M. Collins, ME Richard J. Durbin, IL* Lisa Murkowski, AK Jack Reed, RI* Lindsey Graham, SC* Jon Tester, MT Roy Blunt, MO* Jeanne Shaheen, NH* Jerry Moran, KS* Jeff Merkley, OR* John Hoeven, ND Christopher Coons, DE John Boozman, AR Brian Schatz, HI* Shelley Moore Capito, WV* Tammy Baldwin, WI* John Kennedy, LA* Christopher Murphy, CT* Cindy Hyde-Smith, MS* Joe Manchin, WV* Mike Braun, IN Chris Van Hollen, MD Bill Hagerty, TN Martin Heinrich, NM Marco Rubio, FL* * Indicates member of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, which funds IMLS - Final committee membership rosters may still be being set “Key Committees 2021” - continued: Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Visit: help.senate.gov Majority Members Minority Members Patty Murray, WA, Chairman Richard Burr, NC, Ranking Member Bernie Sanders, VT Rand Paul, KY Robert P. Casey, Jr PA Susan Collins, ME Tammy Baldwin, WI Bill Cassidy, M.D. LA Christopher Murphy, CT Lisa Murkowski, AK Tim Kaine, VA Mike Braun, IN Margaret Wood Hassan, NH Roger Marshall, KS Tina Smith, MN Tim Scott, SC Jacky Rosen, NV Mitt Romney, UT Ben Ray Lujan, NM Tommy Tuberville, AL John Hickenlooper, CO Jerry Moran, KS “Key Committees 2021” - continued: Senate Committee on Finance Visit: finance.senate.gov Majority Members Minority Members Ron Wyden, OR, Chairman Mike Crapo, ID, Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow, MI Chuck Grassley, IA Maria Cantwell, WA John Cornyn, TX Robert Menendez, NJ John Thune, SD Thomas R.
    [Show full text]
  • Mcconnell Announces Senate Republican Committee Assignments for the 117Th Congress
    For Immediate Release, Wednesday, February 3, 2021 Contacts: David Popp, Doug Andres Robert Steurer, Stephanie Penn McConnell Announces Senate Republican Committee Assignments for the 117th Congress Praises Senators Crapo and Tim Scott for their work on the Committee on Committees WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following the 50-50 power-sharing agreement finalized earlier today, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced the Senate Republican Conference Committee Assignments for the 117th Congress. Leader McConnell once again selected Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) to chair the Senate Republicans’ Committee on Committees, the panel responsible for committee assignments for the 117th Congress. This is the ninth consecutive Congress in which Senate leadership has asked Crapo to lead this important task among Senate Republicans. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) assisted in the committee selection process as he did in the previous three Congresses. “I want to thank Mike and Tim for their work. They have both earned the trust of our colleagues in the Republican Conference by effectively leading these important negotiations in years past and this year was no different. Their trust and experience was especially important as we enter a power-sharing agreement with Democrats and prepare for equal representation on committees,” McConnell said. “I am very grateful for their work.” “I appreciate Leader McConnell’s continued trust in having me lead the important work of the Committee on Committees,” said Senator Crapo. “Americans elected an evenly-split Senate, and working together to achieve policy solutions will be critical in continuing to advance meaningful legislation impacting all Americans. Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit our nation, our economy was the strongest it has ever been.
    [Show full text]
  • 2021 Leg Agenda February 12
    LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE MEETING Committee Members Mayor Pro Tem Michael A. Cacciotti, Chair Council Member Joe Buscaino, Vice Chair Dr. William A. Burke Senator Vanessa Delgado (Ret.) Supervisor V. Manuel Perez Supervisor Janice Rutherford February 12, 2021 9:00 a.m. Pursuant to Governor Newsom’s Executive Orders N-25-20 (March 12, 2020) and N-29-20 (March 17, 2020), the South Coast AQMD Legislative Committee meeting will only be conducted via video conferencing and by telephone. Please follow the instructions below to join the meeting remotely. INSTRUCTIONS FOR ELECTRONIC PARTICIPATION AT BOTTOM OF AGENDA Join Zoom Webinar Meeting - from PC or Laptop https://scaqmd.zoom.us/j/99574050701 Zoom Webinar ID: 995 7405 0701 (applies to all) Teleconference Dial In +1 669 900 6833 One tap mobile +16699006833,, 99574050701# Audience will be able to provide public comment through telephone or Zoom connection during public comment periods. PUBLIC COMMENT WILL STILL BE TAKEN AGENDA Members of the public may address this body concerning any agenda item before or during consideration of that item (Gov't. Code Section 54954.3(a)). If you wish to speak, raise your hand on Zoom or press Star 9 if participating by telephone. All agendas for regular meetings are posted at South Coast AQMD Headquarters, 21865 Copley Drive, Diamond Bar, California, at least 72 hours in advance of the regular meeting. Speakers may be limited to three (3) minutes each. South Coast AQMD -2- February 12, 2021 Legislative Committee CALL TO ORDER - Roll Call DISCUSSION ITEMS (Items 1 through 2): 1. Update and Discussion on Federal Legislative Issues Gary Hoitsma (No Motion Required) Carmen Group Consultants will provide a brief oral report of Federal legislative pgs 5-12 activities in Washington DC.
    [Show full text]
  • Fed Will Review Comments on OCC/FDIC CRA
    In classic Greek mythology, a golden apple of discord inscribed "For the fairest" was awarded to Aphrodite, beginning a chain of events that led to the Trojan War. GrayRobinson's newsletter reports on the most recent issues, individuals, and discourse deemed fairest in Washington. February 14, 2020 We congratulate Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL), who became the longest-serving member of the Senate Banking Committee in history this week with a tenure of approximately 33 years, one month, and one week. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-AL) noted the milestone at a hearing on Wednesday. Shelby joined the Banking Committee in January 1987, and chaired the Committee from January 2015 to January 2017. Shelby’s time on the Banking Committee now exceeds that of Senator John Sparkman (D-AL), who served on the Committee from 1947 to 1979. Fed will review comments on OCC/FDIC CRA proposal before moving ahead In testimony before the House Financial Services Committee and the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs this week, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome H. Powell said the Federal Reserve would hold off on proposing its own reforms to Community Reinvestment Act regulations until they see the comments on the proposal released by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Powell agreed it would be best for all three agencies to agree on joint reforms, but noted that even the OCC/FDIC proposal would create two compliance regimes, as approximately 70% of supervised institutions would have the option to continue under the current evaluation system.
    [Show full text]
  • GUIDE to the 117Th CONGRESS
    GUIDE TO THE 117th CONGRESS Table of Contents Health Professionals Serving in the 117th Congress ................................................................ 2 Congressional Schedule ......................................................................................................... 3 Office of Personnel Management (OPM) 2021 Federal Holidays ............................................. 4 Senate Balance of Power ....................................................................................................... 5 Senate Leadership ................................................................................................................. 6 Senate Committee Leadership ............................................................................................... 7 Senate Health-Related Committee Rosters ............................................................................. 8 House Balance of Power ...................................................................................................... 11 House Committee Leadership .............................................................................................. 12 House Leadership ................................................................................................................ 13 House Health-Related Committee Rosters ............................................................................ 14 Caucus Leadership and Membership .................................................................................... 18 New Members of the 117th
    [Show full text]
  • Developments That Matter
    Developments That Matter Chamber Rolls Out Senate Endorsements It’s been a busy stretch for the U.S. Chamber’s political program as we’ve rolled out nine United States Senate campaign endorsements in the last three weeks. As shared in our previous update, the pandemic has disrupted the normal cadence of a typical campaign calendar. As a result, the manner in which we are releasing endorsements, and the timing itself, are slightly different than in cycles past. We’ve been very pleased with the positive news coverage and local earned media garnered for the Chamber-backed candidates we are supporting. Here are a few notable endorsements. More can be found on our website. • On June 22, the Chamber endorsed Bill Hagerty in the open U.S. Senate seat in Tennessee. A former Ambassador to Japan and business leader, Hagerty’s endorsement by the Chamber was covered in the Tennessean for this multi-candidate primary race. • The Chamber announced the endorsement of U.S. Representative, Dr. Roger Marshall (KS-Sen) on June 23. The Kansas City Star reported on the Marshall endorsement, and noted his 90% cumulative score in the latest U.S. Chamber’s “How They Voted” scorecard. Marshall is running in a multi-candidate primary contest in an open seat. Marshall also has been endorsed by the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce. • On June 25, the Chamber announced an endorsement for Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) who is running for his first re-election after defeating an incumbent in 2014. The North State Journal covered the endorsement and noted Sen.
    [Show full text]
  • Official List of Members by State
    OFFICIAL LIST OF MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES of the UNITED STATES AND THEIR PLACES OF RESIDENCE ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS • OCTOBER 1, 2021 Compiled by CHERYL L. JOHNSON, Clerk of the House of Representatives https://clerk.house.gov Democrats in roman (220); Republicans in italic (212); vacancies (3) FL20, OH11, OH15; total 435. The number preceding the name is the Member's district. ALABAMA 1 Jerry L. Carl ................................................ Mobile 2 Barry Moore ................................................. Enterprise 3 Mike Rogers ................................................. Anniston 4 Robert B. Aderholt ....................................... Haleyville 5 Mo Brooks .................................................... Huntsville 6 Gary J. Palmer ............................................ Hoover 7 Terri A. Sewell ............................................. Birmingham ALASKA AT LARGE Don Young .................................................... Fort Yukon ARIZONA 1 Tom O'Halleran ........................................... Sedona 2 Ann Kirkpatrick .......................................... Tucson 3 Raúl M. Grijalva .......................................... Tucson 4 Paul A. Gosar ............................................... Prescott 5 Andy Biggs ................................................... Gilbert 6 David Schweikert ........................................ Fountain Hills 7 Ruben Gallego ............................................. Phoenix 8 Debbie Lesko ...............................................
    [Show full text]
  • Women Appointed to Presidential Cabinets
    WOMEN APPOINTED TO PRESIDENTIAL CABINETS Eleven women have been confirmed to serve in cabinet (6) and cabinet level (5) positions in the Biden administration.1 A total of 64 women have held a total of 72 such positions in presidential administrations, with eight women serving in two different posts. (These figures do not include acting officials.) Among the 64 women, 41 were appointed by Democratic presidents and 23 by Republican presidents. Only 12 U.S presidents (5D, 7R) have appointed women to cabinet or cabinet-level positions since the first woman was appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933.2 Party breakdown of women appointed to Presidential Cabinets: 41D 23R Cabinet or Cabinet-level Firsts: First Woman First Black Woman First Latina First Asian Pacific First Native Appointed Appointed Appointed Islander Woman American Woman Appointed Appointed Frances Perkins Patricia Roberts Aída Álvarez Elaine Chao Debra Haaland Secretary of Labor Harris Administrator, Secretary of Labor Secretary of the 1933 (Roosevelt) Secretary of Small Business 2001 (G.W. Bush) Interior Housing and Urban Administration 2021 (Biden) Development 1997 (Clinton) 1977 (Carter) To date, 27 cabinet or cabinet-level posts have been filled by women. Cabinet and cabinet-level positions vary by presidential administration. Our final authority for designating cabinet or cabinet-level in an 1 This does not include Shalanda Young, who currently serves as Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget. 2 In addition, although President Truman did not appoint any women, Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins, a holdover from the Roosevelt administration, served in his cabinet. © COPYRIGHT 2021 Center for American Women and Politic, Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers University 4/6/2021 administration is that president's official library.
    [Show full text]
  • 2020 Tennessee Student Mock Election Ballot
    2020 Tennessee Student Mock Election Ballot Candidates for President of the United States Vote for One (1) “I declare my preference for the office of the President of the United States to be:” q Donald J. Trump - Republican q Joseph R. Biden - Democratic q Don Blankenship - Independent q Roque “Rocky” De La Fuente - Independent q Howie Hawkins - Independent q Jo Jorgensen - Independent q Alyson Kennedy - Independent q Gloria La Riva - Independent q Kanye West - Independent Candidates for United States Senate Vote for One (1) “I declare my preference for the seat of the United States Senate to be:” q Bill Hagerty - Republican q Marquita Bradshaw - Democratic 2020 Tennessee Student 2020 Tennessee Student Mock Election Ballot Mock Election Ballot Candidates for President of the United States Candidates for President of the United States Vote for One (1) Vote for One (1) “I declare my preference for the office of the “I declare my preference for the office of the President of the United States to be:” President of the United States to be:” q Donald J. Trump - Republican q Donald J. Trump - Republican q Joseph R. Biden - Democratic q Joseph R. Biden - Democratic q Don Blankenship - Independent q Don Blankenship - Independent q Roque “Rocky” De La Fuente - Independent q Roque “Rocky” De La Fuente - Independent q Howie Hawkins - Independent q Howie Hawkins - Independent q Jo Jorgensen - Independent q Jo Jorgensen - Independent q Alyson Kennedy - Independent q Alyson Kennedy - Independent q Gloria La Riva - Independent q Gloria La Riva - Independent
    [Show full text]
  • Protect the Right to Life
    Bill Hagerty’s Blueprint To Protect The teamhagerty.com Right To Life My Fellow Tennesseans, As a fourth-generation Tennessean, I am proud of the Christian, conservative values that my parents instilled in me that I continue to hold dear. These precious values guide Chrissy and me as we raise our four children. Our aim is to pass these core values onto them. One of those fundamental values is the right to life. Tennesseans value life; we believe that all people— including the unborn — are valued. Our God-given rights to liberty and the pursuit of happiness are meaningless without the right to life. It is the first in our Constitution and the most valuable. Sadly, this right has become increasingly threatened by the liberals in Washington. It is deeply troubling to hear them argue that abortion is a human right. Abortion is not a human right; it takes a human life. I believe that you can judge a nation by how it treats its most vulnerable people—“even as you have done to the least of these” is a creed I live my life by. I support life and in the U.S. Senate, I will be a voice for the voiceless, and am not ashamed to say that I believe every person—born and unborn—has a right to life. 1 I am proud to have the complete and total endorsement of President Donald Trump, the first sitting president to speak at March for Life, the largest annual gathering of pro-life supporters. President Trump understands that every life has immeasurable worth and potential, and he is leading our fight for the right to life.
    [Show full text]
  • April 9Th, 2021 Dear President Biden, I Am Wr
    The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, D.C., DC 20500 [VIA EMAIL] April 9th, 2021 Dear President Biden, I am writing to deliver a petition, attached to this letter, signed by 29,318 people urging you to put an end to the racial profiling of Asian Americans and Asian immigrants and end the Justice Department’s “China Initiative.” Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC worked with directly impacted persons, who were inspired to take action but chose to remain anonymous due to fear, to launch this petition urging you to immediately end the “China Initiative” and the federal government’s racial profiling and targeting of Asian American and Asian immigrant scientists, researchers, and scholars, particularly by the Department of Justice (DOJ), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the National Science Foundation (NSF). We thank you for your public condemnation of racism, xenophobia, and intolerance against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States and look forward to the administration's efforts to combat profiling within our federal institutions. Along with almost 30,000 impacted persons, concerned citizens, and community members, we seek to draw your attention to the increasing targeting and racial profiling of Asian Americans and Asian immigrants, particularly those of Chinese descent, who are working in science and technology. Asian Americans and immigrants across the country face not only the deathly impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and devastating attacks of hate on their most vulnerable, but are also being scapegoated and targeted by law enforcement and the federal government. This fear is only heightened by racist policies and xenophobic rhetoric from public officials fueling this resurgent xenophobia.
    [Show full text]
  • Biden Administration Key Policy Personnel
    Biden Administration Key Policy and Health Policy Personnel Updated: September 27, 2021 Joseph R. Biden, Jr., President, was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He graduated from the University of Delaware and Syracuse Law School and served on the New Castle County Council. At age 29, he became one of the youngest people ever elected to the United States Senate. As a Senator from Delaware, Vice President Biden served as Chairman or Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee for 17 years and was widely recognized for his work on criminal justice issues. He also served as Chairman or Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for 12 years, where he worked to shape U.S. foreign policy. During his time as the 47th Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden worked to reduce gun violence, address violence against women, and launch the Cancer Moonshot Research Initiative. Vice President Biden lost his first wife Neilia and his 13-month-old daughter Naomi in a car accident in 1972. His two sons, Beau and Hunter survived the crash. Beau went on to become Attorney General of the state of Delaware and also served honorably in the Iraq War, earning the Bronze Star. He died of brain cancer in 2015. Hunter graduated Yale Law School and pursued a career in banking and finance, drawing scrutiny from President-Elect Biden’s political opponents. In 1977, Joe Biden remarried and he and Jill, a life-long educator, had a daughter, Ashley in 1981. Joe and Jill Biden have five grandchildren: Naomi, Finnegan, Roberta Mabel ("Maisy"), Natalie, and Robert Hunter.
    [Show full text]